Those pesky, but delightfully bright flowers that pop up all over your lawn are tremendously useful. You can eat every part of the plant, roots, leaves, and flowers and they are good for you. Dandelions are a flowering plant that many of us have learned to label as a weed. It is native to North America and Europe. There are two species: Taraxacum officinale and Taraxacum erythrospermum. Both are completely edible and nutritious.
Although the name may seem to describe the bright yellow flower that resembles a lion’s mane, dandelion actually comes from the French name, dent de lion. This means “tooth of the lion” and refers to the toothed nature of the dandelion’s leaves. Another name for dandelions in various European languages is “wet the bed”. The not so nice name comes from the fact that the roots are diuretics.
Good, scientific studies of dandelions and their health and medicinal benefits are few and far between. However, people in Europe have been using the plant for hundreds of years for its nutritional value and for treating a variety of ailments. In fact, the name Taraxacum officinalemeans “the official remedy for disorders.” Before you use dandelion in any medical way, consult with your doctor to be sure you will not experience side effects or complications.
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